[CoolBreeze]

I also had a liver resection. It's a pretty rare surgery among breast cancer patients, so finding this many in one place is a treat! Joan is right, the oligo mets theory is becoming more accepted and they are starting to treat those of us with limited mets more aggressively.

I would not say - at all - that the liver surgery was an easy surgery. But, I'm glad did it. I had a more difficult time than others I think, since I got C-diff six weeks post-surgery. I nearly died from that and am still healing from it. (Surgery was in early October, I got septic with c-diff on Thanksgiving).

They removed all of the left lobe (which had two mets) and they found a spot in the right lobe with an unexpected met that they used microwave ablation on.

Before they do these surgeries, they do want to see response to chemo. You don't "let chemo finish the job" as somebody said, but you get some response and then they may do the surgical route. If they don't think it will do any good and you won't respond via chemo, they aren't going to take chances on you. In fact, if you get complete response they typically won't do the surgery. But there is still cancer cells there and you may be giving them time to move around.

I think you have to go to a major cancer center to get these newer treatments. Don't expect your home town oncologist to do them.

However, after my difficult experience, it appears that I'm NED. It's a cautious NED because although my UCSF surgeon thinks my PET scans show normal activity post-resection/ablation my oncologist isn't so sure. I've remained on Abraxane and herceptin. I may get to take an Abraxane break for a bit, which I'm looking forward to!

Good luck with your decision. I know it's not easy but you are lucky to live in a time where limited mets are treated aggressively and not just left to grow.